The present invention relates to agricultural planters and more particularly, it relates to a row crop planter which is capable of planting crops working the land for a specific crop spacing and is easily indexable one-half the distance between the crop rows for fertilizing or applying herbicide or other chemical intermediate the crop rows while the wheels of the tractor and/or wagon pulled behind the associated tool bar still travel down the original path, thereby leaving planted crops in tact.
Most farmers have switched to tool bar implement combinations in which various ground engaging implements, otherwise known as shanks, are mounted on the tool bar. In some cases, both front and rear tool bars are used and may have a variety of implements or equipment mounted thereon, such as seed hoppers, hoppers for insecticide, herbicide or fertilizer. Additionally, various soil openers and closers and gauge wheels may be mounted on the tool bar. Accordingly, it is extremely time consuming and undesirable to move all of the ground engaging equipment laterally along the bar in order to introduce fertilizer, herbicide or insecticide between rows previously planted.
In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a relatively simple and easy mechanism to index a tool bar approximately one-half the distance between the crop rows to enable the tractor or other prime mover to pull the tool bar through the field with the wheels of the tractor traveling the same lines as previously while the ground engaging equipment is indexed laterally one half row.
The mechanism for achieving this useful result are side-by-side hitches which are preferably permanently mounted to the tool bar and enable the tractor to be indexed a distance equal to one half the distance between crops, the distance between the center lines of the two hitches, while maintaining substantially all the ground engaging equipment mounted on the tool bar in a single position. Moreover, a fertilizer, insecticide or herbicide containing wagon pulled behind the tractor will also travel in the same paths as originally since it too will be moved a corresponding one half row with the prime mover.
An object of the present invention is to provide a simple and reliable mechanism for indexing entire tool bars one half a crop row distance for application of fertilizer, herbicide, insecticide or other materials after a crop has been planted without damaging the crop.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for maintaining an implement including a tool bar in a controlled position behind a prime mover having a conventional three-point hitch arrangement including an upper arm and a pair of lower lift arms, the apparatus comprising a tool bar positioned near the primer mover extending in a direction generally perpendicular to a line of travel of the prime mover, at least two upper mounts fixedly connected to the tool bar for pivotal connection to the upper arm of the conventional three-point hitch arrangement, spaced apart lower mounts fixedly connected to the tool bar in association with each upper mount for pivotal connection to the lower lift arms of the conventional three-point hitch arrangement, connection of the prime mover to one of the upper mounts and the lower mounts associated therewith providing the tool bar with a first centerline and connection of the prime mover to another of the upper mounts and the lower mounts associated therewith providing the tool bar with a second centerline spaced from the first centerline one-half the lateral distance between crop rows.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for maintaining an implement including a tool bar in a controlled position behind a prime mover having a conventional three-point hitch arrangement including an upper arm and a pair of lower lift arms, the apparatus comprising a tool bar positioned near the primer mover extending in a direction generally perpendicular to a line of travel of the prime mover, at least two upper mounts laterally spaced apart and fixedly connected to the tool bar for pivotal connection to the upper arm of the conventional three-point hitch arrangement, each of the upper mounts including at least one apertured plate, multiple spaced apart lower mounts laterally spaced apart and fixedly connected to the tool bar in association with each upper mount for pivotal connection to the lower lift arms of the conventional three-point hitch arrangement, each of said lower mounts including at least one apertured plate, connection of the prime mover to one of the upper mounts and the multiple lower mounts associated therewith providing the tool bar with a first centerline and connection of the prime mover to another of the upper mounts and the multiple lower mounts associated therewith providing the tool bar with a second centerline spaced from the first centerline one-half the lateral distance between crop rows.
A final object of the invention is to provide an apparatus for maintaining an implement including front and rear tool bars in a controlled position behind a prime mover having a conventional three-point hitch arrangement including an upper arm and a pair of lower lift arms, the apparatus comprising a front tool bar positioned near the primer mover extending in a direction generally perpendicular to a line of travel of the prime mover, a rear tool bar positioned aft of the front tool bar and parallel thereto, at least two upper mounts fixedly connected to the front and rear tool bars for pivotal connection to the upper arm of the conventional three-point hitch arrangement, each of the upper mounts including laterally spaced apart plates having horizontally aligned apertures therein, spaced apart lower mounts fixedly connected to the front tool bar in association with each upper mount for pivotal connection to the lower lift arms of the conventional three-point hitch arrangement, each of the lower mounts including a pair of laterally spaced apart plates having horizontally aligned apertures therein, connection of the prime mover to one of the upper mounts and the lower mounts associated therewith providing the tool bar with a first centerline and connection of the prime mover to another of the upper mounts and the lower mounts associated therewith providing the tool bar with a second centerline spaced from the first centerline one-half the lateral distance between crop rows.
The invention consists of certain novel features and a combination of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims, it being understood that various changes in the details may be made without departing from the spirit, or sacrificing any of the advantages of the present invention.